Mr Durieu accused Brussels of failing to foresee the problem - which had forced companies to either pay out extra for new goods to fill their shelves amid fears empty shops would scare off customers, or lose their profits as their stocks remained locked in warehouses.

Retailer fears

With around 50 million sweaters and 17 million pairs of trousers detained at European ports, stores across the continent are anxious that the clothes are released in time to prepare for the Christmas rush.

"It is very possible that towards November or December you will see prices rising across the UK simply because there is not enough capacity now to produce the kind of cheap goods that China has excelled in," said Alisdair Grey, from the British Retail Consortium.

But despite widespread claims that China is flooding western markets with cheap goods - some manufacturers worst hit by the quota system are actually owned by European firms, BBC Beijing correspondent Rupert Wingfield-Hayes has found.

One British-owned factory, which produces high-quality cashmere sweaters for customers including Burberry and Jaeger, says it has been thrown into disarray.

The owner told Mr Wingfield Hayes he is now hunting for factories in South Asia to take up the extra work.